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Monday, March 14, 2016

By Ronald Stevens


When a loved one falls ill one wants only the very best medical care. Those that can afford medical insurance will get the very best private care, but there are millions of people that cannot afford private medical treatment. They do not have medical insurance and when illness strikes or when they are injured, they have to depend upon free or heavily subsidised medical facilities. At a walk in clinic Mansfield TX residents can expect such care.

These facilities are extremely popular and they can be found just about everywhere. There are more than eleven thousand such facilities in the United States, located at more than nine thousand sites. Certain facilities are run by local councils and charities while others are managed by retail outlets such as pharmacies. Patients simply go to a clinic without the need to make an appointment, hence the name by which these facilities are known.

Those unable to afford private health care should make sure that they know where the closest walking in facility is. In an emergency one does not want to waste time. People should take note, however, that there are two types of facilities. Urgent care facilities only deal with urgent matters and emergencies. Retail facilities, on the other hand, offer treatment for routine illnesses and minor injuries.

One of the main advantages offered by these facilities is the fact that they are either free or very cheap. They therefore provide a valuable service to the poor. The majority of facilities are open twenty four seven, which makes them convenient. Of course, the fact that there are so many of them means that most people have access to a facility relatively close to their homes.

Unfortunately there is also much criticism. Because patients cannot make appointments, they often have to wait in very long queues and it can take a long time to obtain treatment. The long queues also mean that the attending health care workers are under pressure to process the patients as fast as possible. This often leads to a situation where vital information is not obtained from the patient, resulting in errors of judgement.

Another drawback is that, in general, only urgent care facilities boast an attending physician. Most retail facilities are staffed by nurses. This means that the level of treatment on offer is severely limited. The absence of a qualified doctor also means that the medication available to patients is limited to non prescription drugs. In this circumstances many patients with more serious ailments and injuries cannot be treated properly.

Another main point of criticism against these facilities is the fact that the medical history of patients is not available. This means that, in most cases, only the symptoms can be treated and that the underlying disease causing those symptoms are not known. If the medical history of the patient is not available it is also all too easy to provide medication that may actually prove to be harmful.

The fact remains that there are numerous people that are simply too poor to afford private health care. For them, walking in facilities are godsend. They can get help with minor ailments and injuries, they can have their children vaccinated and they can get advice on general health issues.




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